PETROL CONSUMPTION CHECKS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 283, 24 August 1940, Page 10

PETROL CONSUMPTION CHECKS

Defence By Controller

“Petrol consumption cheeks are carried out to protect the great majority of motorists from the actions of a few unpatriotic persons who are using petrol in an illegal manner,” said the Oil Fuel Controller, Air. G. L. Laurenson, in a statement yesterday. The honest person had nothing whatever to fear from disclosing to the local controller the source of his petrol, Mr. Lirurenson said. There had been, however, some very grave abuses of the regulations by unscrupulous persons misusing petrol obtained under licence. It was in the interests of all motorists to prevent the wasting of petrol by such unpatriotic individuals. "I have several typical examples of this abuse of licences before me art the moment,” said Mr. Laurenson. “On the basis of signed representations in February, a man obtained a licence for 56 gallons a month, the petrol to be used in an engine for pumping water and .cutting wood. An investigation was later made and it was found that the man was using the petrol in his son’s car for extensive social jaunts. “Another example is that of a man who obtained 25 gallons a month for use in a non-existent farm vehicle. In another case, a car was noticed at many widely-scattered race meetings. It was found that the petrol was obtained by the car owner for use in his delivery van. These and many other cases were located by these investigations. “Members of the general public have everything to gain from an inquiry into the illegal use of petrol,” Air. Laurenson said. "The purpose of rationing is to adjust petrol supplies to essential demand and the needs of the country as a whole. Any man who is using large quantities of bis own or some other person’s ‘licence’ petrol for extended pleasure trips is only decreasing the amount available for the country’s needs/’